To the Editor:
Today, more than 2 million adults in the United States are incarcerated in prisons. The United States accounts for less than 5 percent of the world’s population, but nearly 25 percent of its inmates.
According to the Bureau of Justice statistics, the vast majority of state prisoners will eventually leave incarceration to be reintegrated into their communities. In order to reduce recidivism, it is important for these individuals to become productive and contributing members of our society.
Releasing people back into society with the same external forces that triggered their criminal behavior in the first place is, too often, a round-trip ticket back to prison. That is unless something inside that person changes. Or unless the realization dawns that conflict doesn’t begin on the outside; it begins on the inside.
“Inside Peace” is a feature documentary that focuses on several compelling characters who were incarcerated at Dominguez State Jail in San Antonio, Texas. There, they embarked on a journey of change by enrolling in the Peace Class, one of the few self-improvement programs offered in prisons across the country that concentrates on the individual’s inner strength and self-worth.
On Thursday, Feb. 16, at 6:30 p.m., the Franciscan Peace Center will host a free screening of the film “Inside Peace.” The event will take place at The Canticle, home of the Sisters of St. Francis, 841 13th Ave. N., Clinton. For more information, visit www.ClintonFran­ciscans.com or call (563) 242-7611.
Laura Anderson
Marketing Director
Franciscan Peace Center, Clinton